By Jim Calloway

The OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference is back! It will be held July 16-18 at the OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City. This year combines cutting-edge CLE taught by a faculty of experts with the exciting new OKANA Resort, which features an indoor and outdoor waterpark and many recreational activities. You can find the schedule and registration information at www.okbar.org/solo.

The conference begins Wednesday evening with a welcome reception sponsored by premium sponsor Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance Co. (OAMIC). The next morning, kickoff sessions opening the conference illustrate the diversity of programming offered. Sessions include “Recent Developments in Family Law” with Virginia Henson, “Preserving the Record for Appeal” with Justin Lollman and “Prompt Building for Your Favorite Artificial Intelligence Tool” with OBA Practice Management Advisor Julie Bays. Every hour features programs targeted to solo and small firm lawyers; however, many are valuable for every lawyer in private practice, no matter the firm size.

Later, sessions range from “DUIs and Driver’s Licenses” and “Limited Scope Representation Services Delivery” to “The Ins and Outs of Attorney-Client Agreements.” Phil Fraim, president and CEO of OAMIC, will lead a session on cybersecurity – an issue of concern for all legal professionals.

Thursday concludes with “60 Tips in 60 Minutes,” always a fast-paced and entertaining program, followed by “The State of AI in Legal: Where Are We, and What Does It Mean for the Billable Hour?” taught by Kenton Brice, director of the Law Library and associate professor of law at the OU College of Law. We are grateful Professor Brice has made time for us in his busy schedule to cover this important subject.

As I have noted previously, if artificial intelligence means a lawyer can do a task in 15 minutes that used to take three hours, there are only a few options:

• Ignore the tool and keep charging the clients for three hours,
• Continue with hourly billing and bill 15 minutes going forward or
• Modify your attorney-client billing practice

To me, only one method seems to make sense for the future.

This year, we have altered the educational schedule. The conference will still offer 12 hours of MCLE credit, including two hours of ethics, but two of those hours will be delivered on demand to conference attendees after the conference. This change was made to allow attendees more time to enjoy the beautiful OKANA Resort facilities and attractions and have more social time with peers. This arrangement has also allowed us to reach out to a nationally known speaker who might have been difficult to book otherwise, Damien Riehl. Mr. Riehl is vice president and solutions champion at  vLex Fastcase and is one of the most informative people you will ever hear discuss the intersection of AI and the legal profession.

Friday morning, one of our breakout sessions is a two-parter. Chad Kelliher will teach “Using iPad and TrialPad for Depositions and Trials” (parts 1 and 2). Mr. Kelliher has some very interesting ideas to share. I’ve long believed an iPad with TrialPad is the most effective way for a solo lawyer with no co-counsel or trial assistant to try a jury trial with many exhibits. Julie Bays and I reached out to the software developers LIT Software at ABA TECHSHOW, and it looks like some lucky Solo & Small Firm Conference attendees will get to learn about TrialPad and win a one-year subscription (a $600 value)!

Other sessions Friday morning include “Spotting Immigration Issues in General Practice: A Guide for Solo and Small-Firm Attorneys” with Tara Jordan de Lara, “Disaster-Proofing Your Law Practice” with Brian Candelaria, “Office Unlocked: Maximizing the Power of MS 365” with Julie Bays, “Criminal Motion Practice in State and Tribal Courts: Tips, Stories and Most Importantly … Forms!” with Jason Christopher and “Countdown to 18: What Every Family Lawyer Should Know” with OBA Family Law Section Chair Anastasia Krich-Mahoney, which will cover child support, custody and special needs transitions.

After lunch on Friday, there is a plenary session on professionalism, and OBA General Counsel Gina Hendryx will give an ethics presentation titled “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Proper Termination of Attorney-Client Relationship.” And, as always, we conclude the conference with “What’s Hot and What’s Not in Law Office Management and Technology,” a brief program that combines attendees sharing tips and asking questions, plus an opportunity to win prizes.

Great cutting-edge CLE, an opportunity to network with small firm lawyers from across the state and a beautiful new resort to explore are just a few reasons you will want to register for and attend the 2025 OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference.

Visit www.okbar.org/solo for more information and to register today.

Mr. Calloway is the OBA Management Assistance Program director. Need a quick answer to a tech problem or help solving a management dilemma? Contact him at 405-416-7008, 800-522-8060 or jimc@okbar.org (until the end of May). It’s a free member benefit.

Originally published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal — May, 2025 — Vol. 96, No. 5